Topic:
Hynds Road (Tauranga)

Topic type:

Hynds Road in Gate Pa/Greerton, Tauranga, was named after the Hynds family who arrived in New Zealand from Northern Ireland in May 1900 aboard the 'Rakaia'. Story researched and written by Debbie McCauley.

Hynds Road runs South to North parallel with Tauranga's Cameron Road. New Zealand Post consider half the occupants to be located in the suburb of Greerton and the other half located in Gate Pa.

On 15 October 1886 the Bay of Plenty Times reported that the ‘survey party under Mr Goldsmithe making good progress pegging the allotments at Greerton belonging to the Government are shortly to be put up for sale’.

According to Evelyn Stokes in A History of Tauranga County; ‘A military village of 125 one acre lots, the Township of Greerton, was surveyed near Gate Pa. Military settlers were allowed a choice of one acre there or a quarter acre in Te Papa’ (p. 108). Also that ‘very few settlers took up town sections in Greerton’ (p. 108).

Violet MacMillan noted that: ‘Round Hynds Road (although it was not known by that name then) a number of old regular troops owned small allotments. Also living here was the Eyre family, Mr. Eyre having been a marine sergeant on the Rosario and having settled in Greerton on retirement. Mrs Eyre was a grand cook, and did the baking for Miss Lucy Mansell’ (p. 4).

Robert Hynds (c1861-1929) along with his third wife, Jennie (nee Smythe), arrived in Tauranga from Northern Ireland in 1900 aboard the Rakaia. The Rakaia departed London, England, on 28 March 1900, arriving in Wellington. The family owned a twelve acre fruit orchard in Greerton on which they also milked cows. This is how the name Hynds Road came into being.

A Bay of Plenty Times article from 7 November 1906 describes ‘the road from Eyre’s corner to Hynds as being all grass and rat-tail. Their solution was to plough it right across, harrow it well and clean up the water-tables by hand. Where the road deviates through the Council sections to the main road the gorse requires to be cut back three feet; grubbed would be better; it is now out to the wheel track’.

Another Bay of Plenty Times article dated 18 March 1910 commends Robert Hynds on winning prizes for his apples, pears, peaches and lemons. The article further describes how he had recently added five acres to his orchard which was already planted in young trees, and mentions plans to establish a canning factory.

Robert helped to bring electrical power to Greerton in 1915. Later, the family operated a slaughter-house on Hynds Road and meat was delivered locally using a horse and cart. Robert died, aged 69, in 1929 (reg. 1929/13390). After Robert’s death his son George worked the family farm, purchasing an adjoining property owned by Mr Robert Tuthill in 1934 and converting the orchard to dairying. Jane died, aged 85, in 1952 (reg. 1952/27545).

In the 1950's Hynds Road was just a strip of metal. It stopped at what is now the junction of Kent Street and Hynds Road. You couldn't make that left turn as it was all farmland.

There were only two houses on Tuthill Street. One was a farm cottage and the other one had a very large orchard and vegetable garden. The lady there gave her fruit and vegetables away to her neighbours. Tuthill Street stopped at Coopers Road and down where Bongard and the rest of the streets are was all farmland. Cooper's Road stopped at the bottom of the hill.

In the 1960's Hynds Road was kerbed and channelled when Paramount, PTY and Beazley's started to build. That was when Hynds Road was pushed through all the way to Chadwick Road.

The old cottage on the corner of Kent Street and Hynds Road was built for a Mrs Wood's who lived there with her daughter until the late 1970's.

George Hynds lived where 103 is now. His house was a lovely stucco one which was eventually shifted when they started to build the houses that are there now. 97 and 99 are where his implement sheds were located and, to this day, if you dig down deep enough, you can turn up some very odd things.

Where the Housing Corporation homes were built in the 2000's used to be the 'Cullens'. Behind them on Kent Street is where Pip Cullen lived. Next door to the Cullens in Hynds Road was a big area owned by the Council which they sold as sections in the 1980's. Pip Cullen bought them both. The house on the corner of Hynds Road and Kent Street was shifted there in the late 1980's from Cameron Road.

In the 1980's there was a big fight between the Mongrel Mob and the Black Power outside of 89 Hynds Road. The Police paddy wagon was burnt out but not a shot was fired.

Where Parkview is now there used to be a small Catholic Church which on Sundays was full. The paddocks surrounding the Church were full of horses.

Paramount, PTY and Beazleys were the ones that built the houses in the Hynds Road area. When they started to build the houses in 1963 there were only four houses which are still standing today.

Where Kent Valley Trucks are today was just a big gully covered in scrub. In the 1980's it was turned into Kent Valley Garden Centre and when that closed the truck place took over.

98 Hynd Road: Built for a Mrs Lovell.

100 Hynds Road: Built for the Wathon's.

102 Hynds Road: Built for the Schultz's.

106 Hynds Road: Build for a Miss Gale.

108 Hynds Road: Built for the Hubbard's. This was the first hous down this driveway.

118 Hynds Road: Built by Mr Wrathal for him and his wife. He also built the Wathon's house at number 100.

Hynds Road boasts a Scout Hall at its Southern end which leads onto the Greerton Racecourse. There is also Liston Park which backs onto the Greerton RSA.

In 2002 a shell from the Battle of Gate Pa was unearthed on a building site in Hynds Road which left the neighbourhood sitting along the roadside as they anticipated an explosion.

On 7 April 2005 the surprising discovery of gelignite was discovered underneath the floorboards of Jim Pender’s house in Hynds Road. He and his family had lived there for 16 years and the gelignite was found as the house was readied for removal to Katikati.